PESHAWAR, Oct 5: Following an announcement made from the historical Qasim Ali Khan Mosque on Tuesday night, a majority of Imams called upon people to start fasting Wednesday.

Accepting the decision, people in many parts of the Frontier province, including Peshawar and adjoining tribal belt, began fasting from Wednesday, a day ahead of the rest of the country.

After the announcement of the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee that the first of Ramazan would being on Thursday, a traditional gathering of local ulema was held on Tuesday night at the Qasim Ali Khan mosque under the chairmanship of Mufti Shahabuddin Populzai.

Evidences were gathered from different parts of the province following which the meeting made the announcement late at night.

Prominent ulema who attended the meeting included Qari Fayazur Rahman, Maulana Rafiullah Qasmi, Maulana Sirajul Islam, Professor Khairul Bashar, Maulana Shakirullah Qasmi and Maulana Shafiqur Rahman.

According to reports, people of district Charsadda observed the first day of Ramazan on Wednesday.

An important meeting of Jamiat Ulema-i-Afghan Committee, Charsadda, held with Maulana Sabibuddin in the chair, declared Wednesday as the first day of Ramazan on the basis of eight moon-sighting evidences.

Reports of moon sighting were received from Nisata, Mirzadher, Mandani and Kausarabad areas of the Charsadda districts.

Reports from district Swabi said that the local ulema, on basis on three evidences, decided to observe fasting from Wednesday.

Some ulema said that when they tried to contact the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee in Peshawar, they found all the landline and cell-phones out of order. The ulema wanted to communicate evidences of moon-sighting to the CRHC but since they found no response from the committee, they decided to observe fasting from Wednesday.

Similar reports came from Bannu and Malakand where people began fasting on Wednesday. —PPI